Taxonomic revision of Rubus ser. Sylvatici in the Pannonian Basin and adjacent regions

In this study we revised apomictic taxa of Rubus ser. Sylvatici occurring in the Pannonian Basin and adjacent regions (i.e. the northern Balkans, Carpathians, and eastern and southern edges of the Alps). The first modern taxonomic studies on this series in the area studied were carried out by W. Maurer (from the 1960s), who described three new species, R. juennensis, R. salzmannii and R. venosus, disentangled the position of R. ferox and presented the first reliable data on R. macrophyllus. A further species, R. wimmerianus, was recorded by various authors in the 1990s in the northern part of the area. Based on comprehensive herbarium revisions, incl. assessment of the original material for several names, and recent field studies, we confirmed that the species in ser. Sylvatici described by Maurer are well-defined and taxonomically well-positioned. In addition, we describe here a widely distributed new species, R. maureri, occurring from Italy to Hungary, that was earlier confused with R. macrophyllus. We present the full synonymy (incl. necessary typifications) and an updated distribution map for R. ferox, and broaden the knowledge on the taxonomic position, chorology and ecology of R. juennensis, R. macrophyllus, R. salzmannii, R. venosus and R. wimmerianus. An extended morphological characterization, iconography (pen-drawings, photographs of living plants and type specimens) for most of the species studied are provided. Finally, we discuss the taxonomic position of R. angustipaniculatus and R. solvensis, which were placed by some authors in the ser. Sylvatici, and support keeping the first species in ser. Rhamnifolii and the second in ser. Vestiti.